New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): In a brilliant move by the India Olympic Association (IOA), President PT Usha on Sunday announced that the governing body for Olympic sports in India will propose medical, insurance policies and even pensions for ex-Olympians.
IOA President Usha felicitated Indian athlete GS Randhawa, who won a gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games in the decathlon, on International Olympic Day. On the occasion, Usha said in an initiative to give back to the ex-Olympians they are proposing the facilities of medical insurance and pension to the players for their passion and hard work for the country.
“I am very happy that I met Randhawa sir today because when he finished the 1964 Olympics in the fifth position I was born in the same year. We should remember ex-Olympians. Our country is proud of them and now we have a lot of facilities now but in 1964 and during our time in the 1980s we do not have many facilities. With passion and hard work which they have done for their country,” Usha told ANI.
“I wanted to felicitate him. So, happy to meet him. Once I was sitting in the IOA office I saw Archery legend Limba Ram coming to my office on a wheelchair. I felt so bad. So, for that time only we thought of proposing the medical and insurance policy for ex-Olympians from our side. We already proposed to EC members and even pensions also for ex-Olympians. A small help we should give it to them and now we are going to introduce for current Olympians when they are going for Olympics an amount of Rs 2 lakhs of token money for them,” She added.
Speaking about PT Usha’s proposal for pension, Indian athlete GS Randhawa lauded the efforts of the governing body for Olympic sports in India.
“It is a matter of great pride for us… I am delighted that she (PT Usha) is trying to get a pension for the ex-Olympians and other facilities… We are delighted to know that the government is leaving no stone unturned in providing the best facilities to the young generation of sportspersons,” Randhawa told ANI.
Limba Ram, a three-time Olympian, was the poster boy for Indian archery in the 1990s when his talent allowed him to compete against champions from powerful countries such as South Korea.
Limba Ram led India to a remarkable gold medal win in the team event at the Asian Archery Championships in 1989, and he also won silver in the individual event. In recognition of his sporting exploits, he received the Arjuna Award in 1991 and the Padma Shri in 2012.
“See nobody cares for ex-Olympians that’s why Limba Ram came to IOA on a wheelchair. He only brought archery in the limelight. So, that made me think about it. We should give some support from the IOA side. That’s why we proposed like medicals. We should have such things because IOA also gets a lot of sponsorship. We should give some help to the sports people” IOA President said.
“Happy Olympic day because I could see every state and everywhere I see a lot of participation. My best wishes to them,” Usha said.
Talking about the preparations for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, IOA President hope that India will win more medals then it did in the previous Games.
“All our players have done good preparations. 113 have qualified for the Olympics and I hope that our country will win more than more medals than the Tokyo Olympics. We have provided whatever facilities we can from our side for their shooters and golf to have accommodation close to the venue and a good doctor, we have a mental wellness specialist. For recovery purposes we have physiotherapists and whatever our player’s preferences are. They are all there. They should not have any problems there. They should peacefully participate there and do a good performance. IOA has done everything from their side,” she added.
The Summer Olympics will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11 this year. (ANI)
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